He began his music career as a saxophonist in bands like Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra, Louis Prima, Bob Crosby, Sam Donahue, Frankie Masters, and Jack Teagarden.
He arranged and conducted for Patti Page, accompanying her on her hits "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window", "Tennessee Waltz", and "Mockingbird Hill", and for Perry Como, including on "Catch a Falling Star" and "Papa Loves Mambo".
[1] He also worked on productions by Eartha Kitt ("Sho-Jo-Ji (The Hungry Raccoon)"), Sarah Vaughan, June Valli, Georgia Gibbs, Ann-Margret, Lena Horne, André Previn and the Ames Brothers.
In the mid-1950s he was the musical director of several television shows, including NBC's Shower of Stars and The Oldsmobile Hour; He also worked for RCA Victor and Roulette Records.
At RCA and Roulette, he also recorded several albums in an easy listening style, and had a minor hit with a cover version of Ross Bagdasarian's "Armen's Theme".